Senate Republicans are preparing to bring the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — better known as the SAVE Act — to the Senate floor in the coming weeks, signaling a major escalation in the GOP’s effort to require proof of citizenship for participation in federal elections.

John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader, confirmed Monday that the legislation is moving forward after additional technical revisions are completed. The bill has become one of the top election-security priorities for Republicans and President Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The legislation would require anyone registering to vote in federal elections to provide documentary proof that they are a U.S. citizen. Acceptable forms of verification would include documents such as passports, birth certificates, naturalization papers, or other government-issued records confirming citizenship status.

In addition, the SAVE Act would direct states to coordinate with federal agencies including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to verify voter eligibility and identify non-citizens who may appear on voter rolls. States would also be required to remove non-citizens from registration databases if discovered, while election officials who knowingly process registrations without proper documentation could face penalties.

Thune said the Senate would move the legislation to the floor “at some point soon,” though he stopped short of providing a specific date. Republican leadership is reportedly finalizing updated language clarifying which forms of identification will qualify under the bill.

The SAVE Act already cleared the United States House of Representatives on April 10 by a narrow 220-208 margin. Four Democrats — Jared Golden, Ed Case, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, and Henry Cuellar — joined Republicans in backing the measure.

Despite Republican enthusiasm, the legislation faces a difficult path in the Senate. Under current rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, meaning Republicans would likely need Democratic support unless Senate rules change.

Even so, GOP leaders appear eager to force a public vote, putting Senate Democrats on record on an issue Republicans believe resonates strongly with voters concerned about election integrity and border security.

The bill has also triggered tension within Republican ranks. Earlier this year, Anna Paulina Luna led a group of House conservatives threatening to block unrelated legislation until the Senate agreed to hold a vote on the SAVE Act. Luna described the legislation as a defining test of Congress’s commitment to election security.

Currently, federal law requires individuals registering to vote to attest under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens, but documentation proving citizenship is not required nationwide. Supporters of the SAVE Act argue that the current system leaves room for administrative mistakes and weakens public trust in elections.

Republicans have increasingly framed the legislation as a commonsense safeguard aimed at ensuring that only American citizens participate in federal elections. They point to polling showing broad support for voter identification requirements and stronger verification measures.

A recent survey conducted by Quantus Insights found that 74 percent of respondents supported requiring proof of citizenship to vote, while only 16 percent opposed the idea.

Democrats and civil rights groups, however, have criticized the legislation as unnecessary and potentially burdensome for some eligible voters. Opponents argue that many Americans — particularly elderly citizens, low-income individuals, rural residents, or people born outside hospital systems — may struggle to quickly obtain required documentation such as birth certificates or passports.

Groups including the Brennan Center for Justice argue that documented cases of non-citizen voting remain extremely rare. The organization has stated that such cases account for only “a fraction of a fraction of a percent” of ballots cast nationwide.

Still, Republicans contend the issue is larger than raw numbers alone, arguing that public confidence in elections depends on strong safeguards and transparent verification systems. Trump has repeatedly endorsed the SAVE Act, describing it as a critical step toward restoring trust in American elections and ensuring that only citizens participate in the democratic process.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats including Chuck Schumer and Raphael Warnock have vowed to oppose the measure. Schumer has argued that lawmakers should prioritize expanding access to voting rather than imposing additional federal requirements.

Even if the legislation stalls in Washington, Republicans say the effort is far from over. GOP-led states including Texas, Florida, and Arizona are already advancing their own citizenship-verification and voter identification laws at the state level, signaling that election integrity will remain a central political battle heading into 2026.